Author: Amy Woolston

Author title: Amy Woolston, Director of The Koala Tree, UK, and Clinical Psychologist

Description: The Koala Tree Community Interest Company (CIC) is a psychological service for expectant and new parents who have struggled with the transition to parenthood. In the language of ‘services’, The
Koala Tree aims to work with parents who are experiencing mild - moderate perinatal mental health difficulties. In our language, The Koala Tree CIC is here to provide a much needed space to reflect on the process and impact of becoming a parent and to help develop an authentic and congruent identity as ‘mum’ or ‘dad’. At the Koala Tree CIC, we reject received wisdom and social media tropes, we reject the ideas of perfection and idealism and instead lean into recognising our struggles and missteps on the journey to being simply a ‘good enough’ mother or father.

Keywords: perinatal mental health, community, circle of security, group work, parenting self-efficacy, PSE, The Circle of Security Parenting, COSP, transition to parenthood, Hme-Start, The Koala Cuppa, The Dads’ Group

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